Refrigerated cabinet with circulating air streams



J n- 7, 1969 a. A. HERMANSON 3,

REFRIGERATED CABINET WITH CIRCULATING AIR STREAMS Filed March 22. 1967 //v VENTOR Bernard 0'. Her/124215072 United States Patent 3,420,070 REFRIGERATED CABINET WITH CIRCULATING AIR STREAMS Bernard A. Hermanson, Waukegan, Ill., assignor to Dual Jet Refrigeration Co., Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Filed Mar. 22, 1967, Ser. No. 625,129 US. Cl. 62-256 6 Int. Cl. A47f 3/04; F24f 13/00 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The instant invention is directed to an improved refrigerated cabinet construction characterized by a plurality of circulating air streams.

In describing the instant invention, reference will be made to certain refrigerated cabinet constructions. In such constructions, air curtains are moved across an access opening for the cabinets and the character of the curtains is important with regard to efiicient operation of the construction.

In Hagen et a1. Patent No. 3,134,243 and in Simons Patent No. 2,862,369, there are described refrigerated display cabinets which are provided with access openings exposed to the atmosphere while still being capable of maintaining the-contents in a refrigerated state. Loss of refrigeration from the enclosed space through the access opening is reduced in :a highly effective manner in these constructions by the use of a gaseous, preferably air, curtain which is continuously advanced across the open side from one edge of the opening to the opposite edge.

The air curtain in these constructions is adapted to be formed of adjacent panels of air, with the innermost panel comprising a refrigerated cold air panel, and with one or more outer panels having temperatures approaching the ambient temperature. It has been found that it is desirable to recirculate the inner cold air panel and to provide means for circulating the adjacent guard panels, to conserve the refrigeration and to maintain the enclosed space in a satisfactory refrigerated state.

Improvements in the cabinet operation can be achieved by providing an outer stream made up of air collected from the surrounding atmosphere. This stream is directed against the circulating streams during passage of these streams across the access open-ing of the cabinet. This outer stream serves to stabilize the circulating streams to the extent that the circulating streams will confine themselves to a desired path when crossing the access opening. Thus, an inner refrigerated stream will move in a path across the access opening such that the marjority of the refrigerated air will be collected at an inlet for the passage carrying the refrigerated air. Similarly, adjacent guard panels will be properly collected .by inlets for corresponding passages. Where proper movement of the air streams is maintained in the manner described, greater efiiciencies in the operation of the construction can be achieved. Thus, the cold in the refrigerated streams will not be lost to any undesirable degree when the streams 3,420,070 Patented Jan. 7, 1969 cross the access opening of the construction. If the streams stray from the desired path, large amounts of the refrigerated air may be lost to the outside atmosphere placing a greater burden on the refrigerating system in order to maintain a desired temperature level.

Where an outer ambient air stream is utilized, this stream tends to decrease in temperature due to its proximity with the adjacent colder air streams. This leads to an undesirable arrangement since this air of the outer stream will spill over the front of the cabinet and be discharged in this area. This can present uncomfortable conditions for persons standing by the cabinet.

It is the principle object of this invention to provide refrigerated cabinet constructions of the type described which include circulating air streams, one of which comprises an ambient air stream serving to maintain the colder air streams in proper condition.

It is a more specific object of this invention to provide a refrigerated cabinet characterized by an ambient air stream of the type described which improves the operating efficiency of the cabinet without introducing uncomfortable or otherwise undesirable conditions.

These and other objects of this invention will appear hereinafter, and for purposes of illustration but not of limitation, a specific embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which the figure is a side elevational view, partly cut away, of a cabinet construction characterized by the features of this invention.

As noted, the instant invention will be described with reference to constructions which employ air curtains moving in side-by-side relationship across an access opening of the refrigerated cabinet construction. Such air curtains are commonly employed for the purpose of forming barriers to prevent or minimize heat transfer.

The invention will be specifically described with respect to refrigerated enclosures of the type defining an :access opening in one wall whereby communication with the space within the enclosure can be accomplished. The enclosures or cabinets of this invention are provided with a plurality of nozzles arranged in side-by-side relationship across one edge of an access opening and corresponding inlets are located across the opposite edge of the access opening. The inner nozzles and inlets :are provided for the passage of a refrigerated stream across the access opening while the adjacent outer nozzles and inlets circulate progressively warmer air panels. The inner refrigerated stream is circulated through a passage having refrigeration coils located therein and one or more of the'outer adjacent streams may also be refrigerated.

The figure illustrates a refrigerated cabinet construction 10 including a top wall 12, a bottom wall 14, a back wall 16 and a front wall 18. The front wall defines an opening 20 which provides access to the interior 22 of the cabinet. An inner wall 23 defines the extent of the refrigerated space.

The cabinet includes outlet nozzles 24 and 26, and corresponding inlets 30 and 32. The streams of air 34 and 36 issue from the respective nozzles and pass across the access opening until they are collected by the inlets 30 and 32.

The air stream entering the inlet 30 is delivered to a passage 38. The air contacts refrigeration means 39 located in this passage, and then moves upwardly along the back of the cabinet, and then across to the nozzle 24. The adjacent passage 40 carries a guard panel of air. Fans 41 and 43 may be located in each passage for purposes of driving the air around the cabinet.

The top wall 12 of the cabinet is spaced away from the wall 42 which defines the upper extent of the passage 40. This space forms a passage 44 which has a nozzle 46 at one end and which defines an opening 48 at its other end. A fan 50 is located in the opening 48 for purposes of collecting ambient air at the top of the cabinet and delivering this air through the nozzle 46.

The air stream 52 passing through the nozzle 46 moves downwardly adjacent the guard stream panel 36. Actual contact is achieved by these streams, and it has been found that the stream 52 will stabilize the guard panel stream and refrigerated air stream to the extent that the streams will move in a desired path to the inlets 30 and 32 provided for the streams.

The stream 52 is adapted to pass into inlet 54 located adjacent the inlet 32. This additional inlet 54 will collect the stream in preference to spilling of this ambient stream over the front of the cabinet into the area which would be occupied by individuals removing articles from the cabinet.

The air collected at the inlet 54 moves into passage 56 which extends underneath the bottom wall of the cabinet. An opening 58 is provided at the rear of the cabinet whereby all of the air collected at the inlet 54 is discharged at a point remote from an area occupied by any individuals standing adjacent the cabinet. If desired, a baffle 60 of any desired height can be employed for diverting the stream issuing from the bottom of the cabinet. It is important to note, however, that the bafile should not divert the stream to the extent that this colder air would pass into opening 48 since the stream 52 might then cool down to the point the uncomfortable conditions would prevail at the front of the cabinet.

A fan 62 may be provided in the passage 56 for purposes of drawing the stream 52 into the passage. This will assist the natural flow of air, and will decrease the likelihood of any substantial amounts of cold air spilling into the area in front of the cabinet.

It will be noted that the inlets 32 and 54 are positioned such that air streams move slightly forwardly from their downward flow at the time they enter these inlets. This has been found to provide a more suitable arrangement for collecting the air streams. In the preferred cabinet construction, screens 64 cover the inlets 34, 32 and 54. With respect to the inlets 32 and 54, the screen 64 assumes a nearly vertical position when viewed from the side.

A divider wall 66 is preferably employed for purposes of defining the extent of the passages 40 and 56. A recess 68 is formed at the divider wall to provide space for including the fan 62. It will be appreciated that a plurality of such fans can be located along the length of the cabinet.

It will be understood that various changes and modifications may be made in the above described construction which provide the characteristics of this invention without departing from the spirit thereof particularly as defined in the following claims.

That which is claimed is:

1. In a construction comprising a refrigerated enclosure defining an open side for access to the interior of the construction, air inlets and corresponding outlet nozzles extending across opposite edges of said open side, passages defined by the walls of said enclosure extending between said inlets and nozzles, circulating means for drawing air through said passages and across said access opening between said nozzles and inlets, and refrigerating means contacting at least part of said air, the improvement comprising an outermost nozzle extending across said open side, a separate passage means having one end connected to said outermost nozzle and an opening at its other end communicating with the ambient air, said separate passage means being out of communication with said first mentioned passage means, means for drawing ambient air into said opening of the separate passage and for driving an air stream through said outermost nozzle and across said access opening, an outermost inlet disposed on the opposite side of said open side, a passage communicating with said outermost inlet for collecting at least part of the air issuing from said outermost nozzle, said last mentioned passage extending along the underside of the construction for discharge of the air collected behind the construction.

2. A construction in accordance with claim 1 wherein said inlets are located along the bottom edge of said open side for receiving downwardly moving air streams.

3. A construction in accordance with claim 1 wherein said nozzles are located at the top of the enclosure so that said air is driven downwardly.

4. A construction in accordance with claim 3 wherein said opening in said separate passage is formed in the top of said construction, and including a fan adjacent said opening for drawing air into said separate passage.

5. A construction in accordance with claim 2 including a fan disposed in said last mentioned passage for, assisting in driving air through the passage to the back of the construction.

6. A construction in accordance with claim 1 wherein said passages include at least one innermost passage with said refrigerating means disposed in said innermost passage so that the innermost stream of air crossing said open side is a refrigerated stream, and at least one adjacent passage providing a guard stream moving between the refrigerated stream and the stream issuing from said outermost nozzle.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS WILLIAM J. WYE, Primary Examiner. 

